A NEW TUNE: Without Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire, Raymond Felton (above), fighting for possession with Jamaal Tinsley, J.R. Smith and the Knicks humiliated the Jazz with a 113-84 victory last night at the Garden. Photo: AP

Amar’e Stoudemire took the money and the Broadway stage, just before LeBron James decided to take his talents to South Beach, and announced, “The Knicks are back,” and even though everyone knew that was not the case, it was something — a shining light of hope at the end of a long, dark tunnel that stretched back to 1973.

Stoudemire was damaged goods. James Dolan and Donnie Walsh and Mike D’Antoni knew that, but they had spent two depressing years getting out from under the salary cap hell left by Isiah Thomas, and knew they could not ask season-ticket holders to pay the freight for the renovation of the Garden unless they introduced a star.

So they paid him an uninsured $100 million over five years, and he was something to see, the force of his game and personality often carrying the Knicks by himself, the Garden serenading the man everyone knew as STAT with sweet serenades of “MVP, MVP, MVP.”

Then Carmelo Anthony arrived, and expectations were raised, and Stoudemire’s body began to break down, the way the Suns presumed it would, and he was no longer The Man. The questions began about whether he and Anthony ever could coexist, and you hope that punching that fire extinguisher down in Miami last spring won’t be his lasting New York legacy — when the last two years of his contract look better only when compared to the last five years of A-Rod’s contract.

“I feel for Amar’e,” Mike Woodson said before last night’s 113-84 rout of the Jazz without Anthony.

They all felt for Amar’e because Amar’e (right knee) has been lost for at least six weeks, maybe longer. They felt for Amar’e because he had accepted his role off the bench, for no more than 30 minutes, because lately he had showed signs, as if from memory, of his former greatness.

And the Amar’e who came to New York three years ago with an All-Star Game that served as a veritable oasis in the hoop desert for Knicks fans, well, it is safe to conclude we never will see that Amar’e again. What a shame.

It certainly puts their tenuous hold on the No. 2 seed, especially with this daunting five-game road trip looming, in peril.

Now the Knicks have these next 21 games, these next two months, to define who they are, and what they want to be.

It means Woodson, as much as anyone, needs to step up his game. His immense challenges include compensating for the loss of Stoudemire, keeping Jason Kidd’s 40-year-old legs fresh, getting the Knicks to recommit to defense the way they did last night, and establishing the Garden as the intimidating home court advantage it was at the start of the season.

Can he be an elite coach when this team requires an elite coach to get to another level? Can he find the right matchups at the right time? Can he successfully integrate Marcus Camby and fan favorite Kenyon Martin? Can he get the Knicks to play as a team?

“We got to ride everybody, not just J.R. [Smith],” Woodson said.

But this would be a good time to ride Smith, start him if he starts getting it, finally.

Melo can’t do this alone. Melo needs someone to ride shotgun.

For better or for worse — and you should expect both — Smith is that someone.

As long, of course, as Woodson can get it through Smith’s skull that taking it to the hoop — the way he did in garbage time with his double-clutch jam — is often more desirable than a 3 from the top of the Empire State Building?